


standing here, the five of us

by gomushroom



Series: of light verses [3]
Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Flash Fic, tanka
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-15
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2020-10-17 19:11:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20626118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gomushroom/pseuds/gomushroom
Summary: A thread of tankashort poems five lines feelingsla la la la <3of past memories dreams loveunchanging vivid colors





	standing here, the five of us

**Author's Note:**

> For September—as much as I want to work on that lengthy 20th anniversary fic I’ve been dreaming of for years—I'll write an Arashi tanka series here instead, for each of Arashi years; updated daily on [twitter](https://twitter.com/gomusshroom) all through the anniversary month and reformatted for easier navigation. 
> 
> Tanka (短歌) is a genre of Japanese poem, rhymed like haiku but with 5 lines (!!) of 5-7-5-7-7 syllables each. It'd fit better for these five <3! This will also feature random quotes, song lyrics, and references. Each Arashi year, each hurdles, each expectation, each achievement, and each and every single one of them held heartfelt meaning; ずっとそばにいる〜 I also worked with [an old fic of mine](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10480926), one I did to showcase their first 10 years, and worked more with what I haven't done there.

1999年  
unfamiliar  
swaying boat uncertainties  
now they are five storms  
awkward smile nervous giggles  
flashes of blinding future

*

2000年  
high expectation  
「the fifteen minutes is up」  
harsh spotlights dim fast  
our souls right here at sunrise  
wipe your tears and smile again

*

2001年  
calling storm in spring  
and long idle summer days  
save solve case play stage  
climb mountain and dive into  
sea to set forth new era 

*

2002年  
trudging way through pain  
and complaints together with  
our body and soul  
then months in Shinagawa  
life’s hard but are you happy

*

2003年  
document press with  
silly experiments and  
unison chortle  
is more important than words  
for their bright barefoot future*

* 

2004年  
graduation then  
sleepless summer night I’m glad  
to be Arashi  
toast with cheap champagne frosted  
sponge cake sing wonderful world

* 

2005年  
five by five to One  
moving the stage rowing the  
boat leaving footprints  
be grandson play air guitar  
with our love song played through town

* 

2006年  
go around Asia  
every day lucky our life  
surprise skydiving  
sakura blooms in autumn  
fly kite boat experiment

*

2007年  
news before homework  
tuna of our gratitude  
write dreams read as goals  
with power of words let us  
welcome our Time tomorrow

*

2008年  
remarkable fight  
time colors our days with light for  
a brand new story  
with one hundred years of love  
singing to Tokyo night sky

*

2009年  
singing love songs and  
being able to smile with  
everyone is best  
dizzying celebration  
from now on as well thank you

*

2010年  
homework ended for  
golden hour perfect we  
are not but our last  
promise reach endless snow sky  
movin’ on just now we go

・

into new decade  
nothing and everything change  
buying house after  
summer rainbow color shines  
to lead winning of white team

*

2011年  
we want we need to  
do something for Touhoku  
exciting lessons  
heart and electricity  
food applause and connection

・

opening drizzle  
kick-the-can rock this always  
shaking it singing  
song you can find anywhere  
fireworks into the distance 

・

solving crime after  
dinner with cute bow tie and  
a pair of glasses  
kneeling down to hold your hand  
strongly always with you

*

2012年  
action history  
wild at heart and mystery  
for heavy drama  
and lighthearted comedy  
to supernova next door

・

tell us your favorite  
songs and we perform it for  
you no back dancers  
just us DJ and SK  
magical song and hip hop 

・

paradise for two  
more beautiful than rainbow  
mixin’ blues and soul  
dancing on a roll with you  
universe under starlight 

*

2013年  
glimmering dusk and  
orange sky white sparkly suits  
my harmonica  
are you well although we are  
busy I'll go to meet you

・  
after a while a  
trip together and you still  
got that fanny pack  
our sexy dancing swift moves  
glittering contradiction

・  
raise our sails and sing  
our love on top of our lungs  
to the sky for you  
are our courage and lighthouse  
shining my path and voyage

*

2014年  
a bittersweet love  
holding head high viva youth  
everybody cries  
in parade of dreams and hope  
you will never be alone

・  
to the beginning  
youth memories pride and joy  
we are still of five  
week of celebrating hugs  
tears and new memories

・  
return from flying  
over sunset by the shore  
to everybody  
are you ready our beating  
hearts and hope in the darkness

*

2015年  
cherry in the sky  
one day holding head high as  
you look back to the  
past endless road connected  
to today screaming our love

・  
looking up yonder  
welcoming nightfall bridge  
of faraway dreams you brought  
us this far slowly you showed  
us these precious sceneries

・

the sky in our hearts  
dance like flames flutter about  
kindness is our pride  
chasing different tomorrow  
and walking on the same road

*

2016年  
returning to where  
we started meeting you up close  
your smiles welcoming  
you are always in our hearts  
time passed and here we all are

・

summers always splash  
keep on rolling from zero  
everything’s alright  
can you hear me there Japan  
yeah we can hear you just fine 

・

don’t you all get it  
driving around town with my  
homies promises  
and phrases overlapping  
our sailing days together

*

2017年  
us taking detours  
knowing unseen paths ahead  
until that fateful  
day even with great sorrow  
do believe it's not goodbye

・

listen we are one  
even when we are apart  
we are by your side  
tell me what beat would you like  
beat goes on shout it out loud

・

unchanging even  
if you’re away beyond the  
night sky you always  
be our scenery our hope  
as this journey continues

*

2018年  
for countless meetings  
to find the answer to see  
the light to convey feelings  
to treasure our days to keep  
walking toward tomorrow

・

making promises  
seeing them through and through and  
wanting to meet you  
reaching out with open arms  
spending precious time with you

*

2019年  
our sole wish is a  
warm future for you and me  
light of hope someday  
your song so gentle it hurts  
but still hand in hand onward

・  
laughing for real cry  
together worry and live  
one for all for you  
every step lead to today  
standing here the five of us

✨

**Author's Note:**

> Due to character limits, I exclude several ‘obvious’ references and tone down the commentary. :D
> 
> .
> 
> 1999年・The phrase ‘swaying boat’ is the exact wording of _5x10_.
> 
> 2000年・_Kansha Kangeki Ame Arashi_ was the ending theme of Nino’s drama _Namida Fuite_.
> 
> 2001年・Tagline for Arashi’s very first late night show _Mayonaka no Arashi_ was「山なら登れ、海なら潜れ、崖なら飛べ—if it's a mountain climb it; if it's the sea dive in, if it's a cliff fly over it」.
> 
> 2002年・Trudging our way is 「てくてく歩く」from _Michi_ in Pika☆nchi. 「全身ぜんれい~body and soul~」is from _A Day in Our Life_.
> 
> 2003年・ Document Press was what apparently the "D" in D no Arashi stands for.
> 
> 2004年・Arashi’s first first 24 Hour TV and Aiba’s letter. Also that cosplay D no Arashi episode.
> 
> 2005年 ・Air Guitar series in G no Arashi started on December. Last line was from the first line of _Wish_.
> 
> 2006年・AAA Tour and _Kitto Daijoubu_. Also from the very first Odoroki no Arashi SP.
> 
> 2007年・’Shukudai’ means homework. Also that epic 101th MMA when they went around Fuji TV building with a 101万yen tuna. Lyrics are from _We Can Make It_ and the concert title _Time: Kotoba no Chikara_ mixed up with _Happiness._.
> 
> 2008年・2nd and 3rd line from _Step and Go_. The rest refers to their first Kokuritsu concert and _re(mark)able_.
> 
> 2009年・2nd and 3rd line was a quote from Sho: “This is what I think every year but, being able to smile with everyone is the best”.
> 
> 2010年・Last line of the 1st was from _Movin’ On_, the first song from _Boku no Miteiru Fuukei_. Arashi ended 2010 winning Kouhaku with the White team.
> 
> 2011年・Their first Waku Waku Gakkou; 4th and 5th line are titles of their lessons. Beautiful World in Kokuritsu and an ode to Nazotoki wa Dinner no Ato de and its ending theme _Meikyuu Love Song_.
> 
> 2012年・1st and 3rd featured their dorama’s titles and solo songs. 2nd tanka is Arafes 2012.
> 
> 2013年・_Hello Goodbye_ from last kokuritsu for Arafes Final, their trip to NY for Paradox, and _Ai wo Utao_ from LOVE.
> 
> 2014年・An unforgettable nickname in Yakai, and from _GUTS_ and _Bittersweet_; bits of the anniversary Hawaii trip and Digitalian Tour.
> 
> 2015年・From Sho's Otonoha (2014.09.15): “_Some day when the present has turned into the past and we look back on this we should hold our heads high_" and the first line of _Bokura ga Tsunaideiku_; the rewrite of _Hip Hop Boogie_ in Miyagi Blast, and; Japonism reference galore.
> 
> 2016年・From _Tadaima_ for Japonism Arena Tour; Sho was in Rio for the Olympics in the summer, and _Miles Away_ <3
> 
> 2017年・The saddest set I had to write. First is mostly from _Still…_; second is _UB_ and _Come Back_ unit songs; third is _Song for You_.
> 
> 2018年・The only set that doesn’t have any reference, merely my own take on 2018 Arashi, of them being unusually quiet, taking care of each other first, and preparing for the big ‘announcement’. 
> 
> 2019年・The last line was the first thing I wrote back when I started this. Jun’s “_akaruii tte ii na, arashi no mirai_—it’d be nice for Arashi to have a bright future”, was from Shouten corner in last August 24 Hour TV. Also, with bits of 5x10, _5x20_, _Kimi no Uta_, and _Brave_.
> 
> I thoroughly enjoy this emotional walk down memory lane—something like my own Kinenkan board, visiting old bookmark pages, listening to old songs, and digging through my old blogs. I also rediscovered this amazing Nino quote in [an interview back in 2009](http://say-it-again.livejournal.com/77198.html): “_I know that idols are cool when they retire manfully at their peaks, but we’re not manly. (笑) We’ll be clinging on forever!_” I saved it back then for the laugh, but here we are now 10 years later and Nino still said the same thing, “We’ll always be Arashi” in his January statement. I love him. I love them. It has been a wonderful journey so far, and I will be clinging on forever.
> 
> Thank you for enjoying this with me all through September <3!


End file.
